Oakland's billion-dollar Coliseum City plan is ready for a big score

An agreement between Oakland and Alameda County that could pave the way for the massive Coliseum City development — including new stadiums for the Oakland Raiders and Oakland Athletics — will come before city and county leaders over the next few days.Oakland City Council members are set to vote in a special session late Friday morning on a new exclusive negotiating agreement between the city, county and New City Development LLC, the group led by Floyd Kephart that is trying to pull together the project. The county could vote on the deal either Friday or Tuesday.

Bringing the city and county together on the exclusive negotiating agreement, or ENA, would be a major step forward in the $1.5 billion, 200-acre first phase of the Coliseum City project. It would mark the first time the city and county have addressed their joint ownership of the land that holds O.co Coliseum, the home of the Raiders and A's, and the Golden State Warriors' Oracle Arena.

New City in October won an ENA with the city, which expires April 21. But Kephart said his team — and the Raiders — has been hamstrung on development and financing plans for a 55,000-seat Raiders stadium without the county's involvement in land discussions for the new project."The No. 1 condition from the Raiders to stay is, 'Tell us how to deal with the land,'" Kephart said.The new ENA continues to allow the Raiders and A's the option of bypassing New City and submitting their own stadium plans.The soonest a new stadium could host the National Football League Raiders, who have made rumblings about moving to the Los Angeles area or San Antonio but recently signed a one-year Coliseum lease, would be the 2019 season, Kephart said. That assumes final approval of plans and permits next summer and a 32-month build-out.